type wood

[HD Kuhl]

I am very new to wood carving. I have been working with walking staffs for a couple of years, but most of my carving has been very simple and not anything that required any talent. My talent has been displayed in the finish of the wood. In the past few months I have taken up woodcarving. I have tried a number of types, but really like the wood wizard and wood spirit. My problem is the type wood I should be trying as a beginner. Most of the natural staffs I have found in my area are oak and hickory. Both are very hard and I have not been able to keep my carving tools sharp enough to carve them without a lot of work (and I do mean work). I have carved the same projects on blank basswood and end up with a very nice finished product. I am asking for any suggestions of making the process easier or types of wood I should be trying,

[Marvin Little]

You will get more usable answers if we know where you live. This helps people to know what grows in your area. Try to find out if there are any woodcarvers in your area and talk to them about the types of wood that they use. Check out new home sites which usually bulldoze down all vegetation before starting construction. Line crews clearing powerline right of ways might also be a source. I find that people who own sections of wood are usually agreeable to your cutting if you explain to them that you only want small saplings and not standing timber. The green wood will, of course, have to dry/cure before it can be painted.Check out craft shows in your area for stickmakers and woodcarvers.

Marvin

[HD Kuhl]

Thank you, Marvin. I live in south, central Pennsylvania. I have already started followup on a couple of yours suggestions. I greatly appreciate your reply.

[medicinedog]

Since your just starting out why not stay with basswood for awhile. Its probably the easiest wood to work with. Build your confidence before branching out to other woods. Welcome to the forum. Look forward to your posts. Lar

[SimonLawton]

Sorry, but Medicinedog, ' branching' out to other Woods? well it made me smile! )

[Waitpinga Whittler]

Originally Posted by HD Kuhl

I am asking for any suggestions of making the process easier or types of wood I should be trying,

Living in Australia doesn't qualify me to recommend timbers in Pennsylvania, however most places in temperate Nth America have poplar, aspen or willow. These all work fairly well as a 'starter' wood for doing spirit faces. Keep your shaft diameter to about 1 1/2 to 2 inches so the stick will be strong enough for reasonable wear and tear.

Here's an example of a poplar spirit face staff.



Good luck... looking forward to seeing your results.

[JJireh]

HD, Hickory and oak while being hard are great for staffs/sticks and CAN be carved. Strop more often and cut shallow, be careful if using a mallet and softwood beveling (steeper beveling can prevent chipping). There are even mixed reviews about having a steeper bevel for hardwoods vs soft. I pretty much pick a stick I like and worry about what type later

Do you know what bevel you have on your tools now?

[cannuckcarver]

I carve my sticks in Poplar, Aspen and Maple I also use wild cherry when I come acroos some.

[Tommy Taylor]

I sure know what you mean about oak although I do want to try to make a staff out of it at some point.Don't know if you have cedar there and really don't know if it would be something experienced carvers would suggest but it's a lot easier to work with and I like the look of it.Good luck and jump right in.Hope to see some of your work soon.